Recommendations for scientists and public emerge from NIH-funded workshop.
In The News
Guidelines proposed for newly defined Alzheimer’s-like brain disorder
FDA MedWatch - Certain Prescription Insomnia Medicines: New Boxed Warning
MedWatch - The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program
A new MedWatch Safety Alert was just added to the FDA MedWatch webpage.
TOPIC: Certain Prescription Insomnia Medicines: New Boxed Warning - Due to Risk of Serious Injuries Caused by Sleepwalking, Sleep Driving and Engaging in Other Activities While Not Fully Awake
AUDIENCE: Patient, Health Professional, Pharmacy
ISSUE: FDA is advising that rare but serious injuries have happened with certain common prescription insomnia medicines because of sleep behaviors, including sleepwalking, sleep driving, and engaging in other activities while not fully awake. These complex sleep behaviors have also resulted in deaths. These behaviors appear to be more common with Lunesta (eszopiclone), Sonata (zaleplon), Ambien, Ambien CR, Edluar, Intermezzo, Zolpimist (zolpidem) than other prescription medicines used for sleep and we are requiring a Boxed Warning, our most prominent warning, to be added to the prescribing information and the patient Medication Guides for these medicines.
AHRQ Evidence-Based Practice Update
Telehealth for Acute and Chronic Care Consultations
Panel highlights need for further innovative research approaches to inform appropriate long-term use of osteoporosis drug therapies
It is projected that by 2025, the total U.S. health care costs attributable to fractures will reach $25 billion annually.
What's New at AHRQ
FDA MedWatch - Opioid Pain Medicines: Drug Safety Communication
MedWatch - The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program
A new MedWatch Safety Alert was just added to the FDA Drug Safety Communication webpage.
TOPIC: Opioid Pain Medicines: Drug Safety Communication - Harm to Patient Reported From Sudden Discontinuation of Opioid Pain Medicine
AUDIENCE: Patient, Health Professional, Pain Management, Pharmacy
ISSUE: FDA has received reports of serious harm in patients who are physically dependent on opioid pain medicines suddenly having these medicines discontinued or the dose rapidly decreased. These include serious withdrawal symptoms, uncontrolled pain, psychological distress, and suicide.
Rapid discontinuation can result in uncontrolled pain or withdrawal symptoms. In turn, these symptoms can lead patients to seek other sources of opioid pain medicines, which may be confused with drug-seeking for abuse. Patients may attempt to treat their pain or withdrawal symptoms with illicit opioids, such as heroin, and other substances.
Women outlive men: where and why
Women outlive men everywhere in the world – particularly in wealthy countries. The World Health Statistics 2019 – disaggregated by sex for the first time – explains why. Our task is to use these data to make evidence-based policy decisions that move us closer to a healthier, safer, fairer world for everyone.
“Breaking down data by age, sex and income group is vital for understanding who is being left behind and why. Behind every number in the World Health Statistics is a person, a family, a community or a nation,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
Gout treatment may help prevent obesity-related type 2 diabetes, suggests small NIH study
Colchicine may potentially reduce complications accompanying metabolic syndrome.
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AHRQ Evidence-Based Practice Update
Adverse Effects of Pharmacological Treatments of Major Depression in Older Adults
[ Full article ]
Seeking Primary Care Practices to Participate in Improving Opioid Management
Get resources and guidance on how to implement effective team-based opioid management strategies in primary care by participating in the AHRQ-funded “Six Building Blocks” project. Selected practices will implement the Six Building Blocks toolkit to improve opioid prescribing and collect metrics to monitor progress. An anticipated 15 participating practices will each receive the resources and a $2,500 honorarium/practice to offset costs of data collection for the evaluation. The estimated start date for practices is late April 2019. Learn more here.